Welcome Guest! If you are already a member of the BMW MOA, please log in to the forum in the upper right hand corner of this page. Check "Remember Me?" if you wish to stay logged in.

We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMWMOA forum provides.
Why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on
the forum, the club magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMWMOA offers?Want to read the MOA monthly magazine for free? Take a 3-month test ride of the magazine; check here for details.

If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You will need to join the MOA before you can post: click this register link to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

NOTE. Some content will be hidden from you. If you want to view all content, you must register for the forum if you are not a member, or if a member, you must be logged in.

Actually, my 660 and 665 ask me if I want them to stay on (battery power) or off every time I switch the key to off. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, so switched power isn't necessarily a bad thing.

and my Nuvi 205 and Nuvi 265, and 276C and III+ and V, but not the 2610 which has no battery at all. If you notice as you head to that bathroom in a hurry all is fine. I don't, so then come back to an off GPS. It annoys me. I just prefer the risk I'll put the bike away without turning off and/or unplugging things. Every now and then I have annoyed myself that way too.

Paul Glaves - "Big Bend", Texas U.S.A
"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution." - Bertrand Russellhttp://www.bigbend.net/users/glaves

GPS question

I thought it was, but I sold a 550 for $450 to help pay for it when it came out. I think my out of pocket expense was only $200 or so. Don't forget it's about 3 years old now.

On the other hand, I had to wait a long time before Garmin fixed the damn software so it actually worked reasonably well. It does now, but it used to shut off on me all the time.

I'm considering buying a ZUMO 450 which has been discontinued. You mentioned that you have a Garmin that used to shut off all the time. I've read that about the ZUMO 450 in reviews. Does a software upgrade fix that problem?
Thanks for any advice.

Hey Bob,
I used to use a Nuvi 750, which was NOT motorcycle specific... I bought the Gilsson (or was it Gillson) hardwire kit for it and ran it directly to the battery... That worked for awhile and then that stopped working. The electronic module that's on the hardwire kit basically tricks the GPS unit into thinking it's plugged into a charger and NOT your computer, which means the GPS is functional. Hardwiring directly will result in the GPS unit thinking it's plugged into the computer and bringing up the screen for updates. Follow me?

I now use the Nuvi 550 with a Garmin cigarette adapter that is plugged into a cig plug I have wired directly to my battery. This has worked well for the last couple of years...

The weak point on the Nuvi units is the mini USB port.. NOT weather proof and the plug sometimes loses the power connection... I just put my finger on and plug at the back of the GPS and push it and it is restored.

I believe that the power connection on the Zumo models is much better, but again, I don't want to spend 700 clams on a GPS unit.

Hope this helps.

Tom.

Originally Posted by Firenailer

Tom,

How are you powering your Nuvi? I have an old 700 series I'd like to mount to the bike but have been told there might be a voltage issue. (The auto cigarette plug wiring steps it down in voltage?)

I picked up an accessory plug adaptor for the bike, and while it works, every time I hit a bigger bump power interupts and it runs through the whole set up again. I'd like to hardwire the unit and would appreciate your advice.